The Election Commission of India (ECI) has strongly rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “vote fraud,” stating that terms like “vote chori” (vote theft) are an insult to the Constitution and to the millions of voters and poll officials who uphold the integrity of elections.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, stressed that the ECI remains impartial, treating all political parties equally without favouring either the ruling or opposition sides.
Kumar said the ECI is being unfairly targeted for political reasons and warned that using phrases such as “vote chori” undermines the credibility and morale of poll staff and attacks the honesty of the electoral process. He reiterated that the principle of “One Person, One Vote” has been in force since India’s first general elections, and any allegations of double voting or voter fraud should be supported by credible evidence and addressed through proper legal channels—not circulated through defamatory statements. To date, he added, no such evidence has been provided by Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party.
The Chief Election Commissioner also explained the rationale behind the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar, clarifying that it was initiated in response to correction requests from political parties. He noted that a month-long window is available for parties and citizens to raise objections and flag errors, and assured that the ECI’s offices remain accessible to all.
Kumar further condemned attempts to spread misinformation, pointing out that local representatives’ concerns are often “either not reaching party leadership or being ignored.” He highlighted the importance of voter data protection, citing the Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling against publishing machine-readable voter lists to safeguard privacy, and cautioned against the unauthorized release of voter photographs.